Cauldron Dust and Parchment Strips
by ibelieveinahappilyeverafter
Summary: Just as all cauldrons have dust and all essays have a few strips torn off, so does every story have a few pieces that never came to be. Unconnected Harry Potter drabbles and short stories. At the beginning of each story will be a short description and everything else you need to know about it, so why not give them a read and discover your love for the magical world all over again?
1. It Took Me By Surprise

Bonjour, mes chers! Enjoy this new story which is a place for all my Harry Potter drabbles - I don't have many right now, but I hope you enjoy them nonetheless!

Consider supporting me to see more stories like this one! $97/100 down for the podfic goal!

Pledge to me at patr(e)on com/mjanderson  
Buy me a coffee at ko-fi com/mjanderson  
Follow me on tumblr at ibelieveinahappilyeverafter

Title: It Took Me By Surprise

Alternate Universe: Obscurial!Harry (Fifth Year right after the Battle at the Ministry)

Rating: T

Warnings: Past character death, references to past child abuse, and Dumbledore

Inspired By: Prompted by my girlfriend and done while listening to "It Took Me By Surprise" by Maria Mena

Summary: Harry has just lost the last family he had left and now, of all things, he has to deal with _Malfoy_. It was bad enough when he found out he was an obscurial, but now learning that might be the key to defeating Voldemort? He just- He just wanted his life to be his again. He was so sick of being nothing more than 'the Boy Who Lived.'

::

" _...he will have power the Dark Lord knows not…"_

Harry panted harshly in the middle of the destroyed classroom, hands shaking and wand tossed on the ground near the second he had walked in. He could barely handle the thought of having things in common with _him_ , but remembering that their _wands_ were the same-

One of the wooden desks jerked into the air and slammed into one of the windows, glass shattering with a mighty crash as the shards fell down with a noise that shouldn't be so soft. Staring at the mess, Harry glanced over his shoulder when he heard the door open.

"Potter. Why am I not surprised to find you destroying Hogwarts property this close to the end of the year." Malfoy. Gritting his teeth, Harry shook as the chalkboard cracked cleanly in two. Malfoy didn't even flinch. "Oh, how terrifying."

"Get the fuck out of here, Malfoy." The last thing on this earth that he wanted to do was deal with Draco _fucking_ Malfoy. " _Now_."

"And be blamed for letting the Wizarding World's Golden Boy work himself into a self-destructive fit? No, I don't think I will leave." The chair Malfoy was about to reach for cracked down the middle. "You're so dramatic, Potter." Malfoy took out his wand and tapped the chair. "Reparo."

"I don't want to deal with you _fucking_ Slytherins!" Half of this was Malfoy's fault. If Harry had gotten there earlier instead of being caught by Umbridge and her student followers then maybe- _Maybe_ \- " _Get away from me_!"

He felt his magic jerked out of him and thrown wildly about the room, destroying everything it touched and ripping into whatever was left behind. When the wave passed, Harry shook on the floor, staring at where Malfoy's shield charm was dropping. Not a bad charm if it kept all that out.

"Why are you here." There was no… Ah. "Go on, then. Rub it in. That's what you're doing here, right? To let me know that I've lost everything? That I'm an orphan all over again. That-"

"Oh, do shut your mouth, Potter." Malfoy stood up so fast his chair clattered to the floor. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. No one can throw a pity party like you Gryffindors-"

" _Pity_ party?! My godfather was _murdered_ by _your_ fucking aunt! He was imprisoned for _years_ and _nobody believed him_! Now look! He's _dead_ because of _me_!" The debris in the room swirled around them, the threat lingering in the air. "He's dead because of _me_."

"You're going to give yourself all the credit, then? Please. He was an adult. He knew what he was running into." Harry wasn't even aware he moved until he had Malfoy pinned up against the wall, panting heavily as he felt his own magic swirl around him. "You _idiot_."

You have no right- _No right_ -" The slap to his cheek startled him more than he would have thought, Harry staring as Malfoy pushed him back without any bit of magic to the push.

"It's not a secret. You're an obscurial." That word. That _fucking_ word. As if being Harry bloody Potter wasn't enough, he was also apparently a ticking time bomb that couldn't even control his own magic. Just having him in Hogwarts was danger enough and just that night he had almost destroyed the Ministry of Magic after… "Offing yourself by losing control is a pretty poor way to repay the man that saved your life."

Sirius… What would he say to see Harry burning through his magic like this? To see him losing all the control and walls he had built up and unable to control anything as it all crumbled under his touch. "What's it matter anymore?"

"You're the only chance we've got." Staring at Malfoy with wide eyes, Harry stumbled as he was pushed again. "Don't you get it? The Dark Lord is well and truly back and if he wins then we're _all_ doomed. You think I want my world destroyed?"

"Please. You made it perfectly clear how you feel about all of this, Malfoy. Should I bring up second year?" Muggleborns could have died and Malfoy would have been pleased.

"And you believed everything you said and did as a second year?" Ye… Tom had fooled him, too. "I was told stories of the war too, you know. I was told about how we were supposed to be _right_. I'm a Slytherin, not a Gryffindor. I know when to keep my doubts to myself."

"You could have helped- You could have _helped_! Instead you've been tearing others down and helping Umbridge destroy the school-"

"What else was I supposed to do?!" Malfoy didn't look like the perfect pureblood heir anymore. His cheeks were flushed a splotchy red and his chest was heaving as he shook flyaway hairs out of his face. "The only reason I'm here- The _only reason_ is because you're the _only chance_ this bloody World has of surviving this!"

"I don't _want to be_!" His words echoed off the walls, Harry shaking as cracks began digging themselves into the stone walls themselves. "I don't _want_ to be the savior of the Wizarding World! I don't want to be The Boy Who Lived! I just wanted a mum, and a da, and a _home_ , and instead I'm a _curse_ that could kill _so many people_!"

"So fucking _use_ it!"

" _The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches…"_

"They put you in a box, well then fucking _break it_." They were both angry, but Harry felt like Malfoy was full of more rage than people could ever guess it. "I have to work within mine, but you can _shatter_ yours."

"And do what? I'm 'Gryffindor's Golden Boy,' remember? I'll be the Savior to win the war and save everyone, but at what cost? I can barely cast an Expelliarmus without it going wrong!" All of his magic came out either too strong or warped itself into something else entirely. He wasn't… He was a curse, not a wizard.

"Try harder." Clenching his fists and ready to throw a punch, Harry only stopped at the look in Malfoy's eyes. "Try _harder_." It was a look he had seen on the face of every Gryffindor at least once. "You don't think we're all scared? Guess what, we're _terrified_ , but you're the only one who can do something about it."

" _...born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies…"_

"You were _born_ to stop him- To _change_ all of this." The words didn't seem to stop, pouring out of Malfoy before he could probably even think them through. "You think we don't know that Slytherin needs to change? You don't think I'm driving myself crazy because a part of me is screaming at me to shut up for saying as much as I am? I'm the perfect pureblood heir, but I'm _scared_ because I know the stories. I know the stories the other families didn't tell their kids."

"You… You're scared." He had never thought- It was a dumb school rivalry, he knew it was, but he had never thought about Draco Malfoy being scared. "Why- Why would you tell me all of this? Why now-"

"Because now he's not going to hide in the shadows anymore." Voldemort. He had been seen and he knew Harry and Dumbledore had both just lost a battle. He wasn't going to hesitate. "I'm the son of a Death Eater. How long until he uses me?"

"You're a kid." They were kids. They were both fifteen and yet here they were talking about war and death and how the world was about to go to shit. They shouldn't have to be thinking about this- They _shouldn't_. "We're both _kids_."

"You're the only one who's going to be able to defeat him, Potter." The words were said as if they were nothing but truth, Malfoy meeting his gaze without flinching. "Only you."

" _...and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not…"_

"Because I'm the only obscurial to survive this long." He had looked into everything. He should have died before he got his Hogwarts letter, but here he was. He almost wished-

"Because you're _you_." Malfoy shook his head, a laugh tearing its way out of him. "Merlin, you don't even realize it. It was never the fact you were an obscurial that made you powerful. It was the fact you're _you_. The first to rush into danger, the first to stick his nose in the messes he should be avoiding, and the first - the very first - to show up when there's danger."

"That sounds like a weakness, not a strength." For some reason, Harry was no longer shaking as much. "So, what, you think I have some crazy power that lets me be in the wrong place at the right time?"

"Certainly explains the last few years, doesn't it?" Malfoy picked up his wand and walked around the room, Harry watching as he repaired each broken object one after the other. Harry wasn't sure how long he had been there, but the early morning dawn had grown to a brilliantly glowing sunrise at this point.

"Why are you here- I know what you said, but _why_. We're supposed to be 'enemies,' right?" The laugh Malfoy gave had Harry giving a reluctant smile of his own.

"Sounds a bit childish now, doesn't it?" They had just entered a war. What could a school rival due that could compare to that? "Bloody hell, I'm going to regret saying this, but you're stronger than you know."

"I don't think I'm strong at all," Harry said, startling when he felt the sensation of wood- Malfoy was pressing _Harry's_ wand into his hand, expression serious.

"You're the strongest wizard I've ever met. Stronger than he'll ever be."

" _...and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives…"_

"I can't change what happened tonight. I wish we could go back to being school rivals and I could insult your friends while you figure out whatever I'm plotting, but-"

"What's the point." Harry watched as Malfoy gave a single nod. "Why are you here, Malfoy?"

"As much as I _hate_ to admit, and truly, I do, I know you well enough to know that someone needed to knock sense into you. Your friends are too _kind_. They'd give you space."

"So you risk being torn apart by wild magic to get me to see sense?" Bloody hell. For as much as Harry was a Slytherin, Malfoy was a Gryffindor, huh?

"Please, as if you would ever let yourself hurt someone who didn't deserve it." Malfoy looked down at his wand, biting his lip before looking back to Harry. "Someone needs to clean up the damage you cause."

Pausing at that, Harry looked around the classroom. It was back in pristine condition, every bit of damage repaired as if it had never happened. It… Malfoy had repaired it all as if it was nothing.

"You…" Harry looked to Malfoy, a laugh ripping its way out of him. "I really should have shook your hand on the train."

"Shaken. It's- Sweet Merlin, Potter, you _do_ need help if you can't even speak English correctly." Malfoy turned on his heel and walked towards the door, Harry staring after him and barely believing what had just happened.

Putting that morning aside, Draco Malfoy had just come in, talked him down, and fixed everything his magic had broken. "Well, Potter?" Malfoy paused in the doorway, looking over his shoulder at him. "Coming?"

"Yeah… Yeah, I'm coming." His entire world had changed in a single night, and while it might never be good again, it didn't look like it was getting worse. That was something, right? And as much as he hated to admit it, Malfoy was right. Sirius wouldn't want him hurting himself like this. "Hey, wait up!"

" _...the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies…"_


	2. Obscured Truth

Remember to follow me at **ibelieveinahappilyeverafter** on tumblr to see the cool things I'm always doing! You can find out ways to support me and even read things that you won't see on this account. Check out my 'everafterlifeupdates' tag for more information on all of this.

Title: Obscured Truth

Alternate Universe: Sequel to "It Took Me By Surprise" / Obscurial!Harry - Sixth Year

Pairing: Drarry

Rating: M

Warnings: References to trauma and abuse, past character death, and detailed sex scenes

Inspired By: Girlfriend Prompt (It got out of hand…)

Summary: Harry thought being an Obscurial was hard, but balance that with being in a relationship with Draco Malfoy and dealing with Voldemort's return and trying to find a way to defeat him? Well… At least Harry could sometimes worry about just normal relationship problems? Then again, he wasn't sure how normal it all was when Draco Malfoy was involved.

::

Shifting the cloak around him, Harry tucked the hood further over his face as he walked through the halls of Hogwarts. It had been much easier to use the cloak when he was eleven and it draped around him like a blanket, but now it was- Maybe not harder, but stranger. He wore it like any other cloak and yet he knew that not one part of him would be seen.

Shaking his thoughts off, Harry eyed the map, shuffling towards a beam of moonlight to see it better. There were more teachers and ghosts than usual patrolling the halls - no surprise considering what happened at the end of last year. This year was already shaping up to be something crazy. A new potions teacher, Snape teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts, and a wayward Draco Malfoy that had mailed him near every day of the summer and yet had stopped talking to him three weeks ago. He also had done a marvelous job of avoiding Harry on the train and throughout the feast, but, well. Harry was pretty good when it came to difficult.

Hence why he was running around the castle past curfew with his cloak and map and trying to track Draco down. While he could stake out the dungeons if he wanted, he was stupidly pleased to see Draco was in a spare classroom on the fifth floor rather than all the way down in the dungeons- Wait. Why was he in a spare classroom this late at night?

Hurrying towards the right location, Harry tucked the map away once he got close enough and near held his breath as he peeked into the room. He didn't even get a step inside before Draco was turning to look over at him. "You and your fucking cloak, Potter."

Okay. One, Draco looked like he hadn't had a decent night's sleep since he _stopped_ sending Harry letters. Two, he was curled up on top of a desk and looked- Jesus, upset didn't even begin to cover it. Devastated, more like. Three, he was in a classroom past curfew after avoiding Harry. Four, how the _fuck_ had he guessed Harry was there?

"Seriously, even if you know about the cloak you shouldn't have been able to tell I was there." Sliding the cloak off, Harry entered the room before pushing the door shut with his foot. "You've been avoiding me."

"Brilliant deduction, Potter. Maybe they should have put you in Ravenclaw." Frowning at the sharp tone more than the words, Harry set the cloak on a desk before pulling himself up next to Draco. He frowned even more at how Draco flinched away, hand clutching at his left sleeve in a death grip.

"Malfoy? Hey, what's wrong?" The laugh that tore itself out of the other's throat had Harry wincing. That… That wasn't a good laugh.

"Nothing much. I was just contemplating how much of an idiot I've been." Draco laughed again, sliding off the desk and shaking his head. "I should have been smarter about it all, I suppose. I should have seen it coming, but, no. I thought I was _safe_."

"Hey- Hey, Draco, whatever it is I can help you-" Harry near fell off the desk when Draco spun around and poked at his chest, expression sharp and deadly.

"You, _Potter_ , have done quite enough already." Wha- What was that supposed to mean? "If it wasn't for you-!" Draco physically forced himself back, Harry bewildered as Draco sucked in a shaking breath. "No. No, I suppose it's my fault, as well."

"Draco, what the hell is going on?" There was no response, Harry feeling angry more than anything else as he pushed himself off the desk and took a few steps forward. "Seriously? You were the one who _all summer_ kept saying we should start getting along and trusting each other and _working together_ and now you're just going to shut me out and not even say anything!" Harry felt the magic snap out of him before he saw it, but he flinched back the same time as Draco as one of the desks snapped in half. "Sorry- Sorry! I didn't mean-"

"Oh, do give your apologies a rest, Potter, I am not one of those frightened Hufflepuffs." Draco huffed and pulled out his wand, tapping at the desk and quickly putting it back to rights. "Honestly, we need to work on getting control of your emotions."

"There's still a we?" Harry winced as he watched Draco freeze, the teen turning to look at him with wide, _scared_ eyes before the expression was shoved behind a sneer.

"You're right. I shouldn't even bother to waste my time with this-" Grabbing at Draco's arm before he could leave, Harry felt a lot calmer after seeing the fact Draco was _scared_. Scared he could handle. "Let go of me-"

"No. Not until you tell me what's got you so riled up and scared. Draco, I was serious when I said I wanted to be friends before summer started. I _want_ this to work." For- For more reasons than one, really. "Please, just- Just _talk_ to me-"

"You wouldn't understand." He wouldn't- Fuck, so much for that fucking calm. Dragging Draco back to him, Harry near growled as he felt the air cackle around them.

"I wouldn't _understand_? I grew up with muggles who abused me and turned me into a fucking magical time bomb, I had to watch my godfather die _in front of me_ a few months ago, and I've been through more shit in the name of this school than probably anybody else. Just _what_ , Draco, am I note supposed to understand-"

Draco jerked his arm out of his grasp and Harry honestly thought he was about to be punched before Draco was shoving his left sleeve out of the way and holding his arm out as if… If… "Oh, Draco." There, in jet black ink, was the familiar image of a skull and tattoo.

"Three weeks ago." Three weeks. Right when Draco had stopped sending him letters. It looked like he had found the reason why. "It was my father's punishment and chance at redemption."

"Offering up the firstborn son seems a little old fashioned, don't you think?" The joke was weak to his ears, but Draco gave a reluctant smile. Now that the anger was gone, the fear and sorrow were clear to see. "Draco-"

"They made me a Death Eater. No matter what happens- Everyone will always treat me like I'm- Like-"

"Like you could be dangerous? Explode at any minute? That any second you could hurt them, and they wouldn't even have time to fight back?" There was a moment where Draco stared at him, eyes wide before he sniffed and- "Wait- Wait, are you crying- No, no, no, don't-"

"Shut _up_ , you utter _wanker_. No. I am _not_ crying." Trying to politely ignore the rather obvious tears, Harry flinched as Draco collapsed against his chest. Flailing for a moment, Harry finally wrapped his arms around Draco, hugging him close. It was a few minutes before Draco spoke, voice cracking. "How did you deal with it for so long?"

"I had some pretty great friends," Harry said quietly, not willing to push Draco by playing with his hair even if he really, _really_ wanted to. "And someone who wasn't afraid to push me."

"The last one sounds like an idiot." Smiling at the watery chuckle, Harry hugged Draco a touch tighter for a moment before pushing him back, looking to the mark. "It won't come off."

"Aren't you the one always going on about how every potion has an antidote? Why can't every spell have a reversal to it?"

"That's- That's not how it works, Harry." Mm. They'd see, now wouldn't they? "Merlin, you're the most stubborn idiot I've ever met."

"I _am_ a Gryffindor," Harry said with a laugh, Draco fully moving away from him. "So, about that whole working together thing."

"As long as you aren't afraid of being seen with a Slytherin all the time. We're not seen in a very favorable light at the moment."

"Add it to the list of things that need fixing." Grabbing the cloak, Harry pulled Draco close before throwing it over them. "Let's get you back to the dungeons before a teacher hexes us both. Stay close, okay?"

"Okay." Draco shuffled closer, Harry trying to keep calm and mentally screaming as he activated the map. Right. Just pressed up against Draco Malfoy in a tight, cramped space.

This year was going to kill him.

::

"He's showing you memories? That's this top secret training he's been giving you? Showing you _memories_!" It was a hard guess as to who was more upset about the matter, Draco or Hermione.

"Are they useful memories, at least?" Hermione asked, waving her hand. "No, no, nevermind, of course they're useful. He wouldn't show them to you if they weren't useful-"

"Please," Draco scoffed. "This is the man that hid an all-powerful alchemic tool in a school full of children while he knew full well that the Dark Lord was after it. Wisdom isn't exactly intelligence, now is it?"

"You had to go and befriend the ferret, didn't you," Ron sighed, sitting back on the couch in the Gryffindor common room next to Harry as Hermione and Draco had another go at each other. "Not only that, but you had to bring him to our _common room_."

"Would you rather sneak into the Slytherin common room?" Harry asked, pleased when Ron gave him a terrified look. "That's what I thought. And imagine it from his point of view. He's pretty much a snake in the lion's den."

"You've been spending too much time with him," Ron accused, Harry only shrugging. "You still have that thing about him, then."

"Thing? What thing? I don't have a thing. Ron, why would you _ever_ think I have-"

"Yeah, it wasn't a question, mate." His friends knew him too well. That was all there was to it. "So, uh, do we need to have a talk?"

"Do- Do you think we need a talk?" Harry glanced to Ron before looking back to where Hermione and Draco were now arguing about… something. Harry had stopped paying attention a while ago.

"No. Do _you_ think we need to have a talk?" Considering Ron wasn't freaking out and Hermione _definitely_ knew, Harry shook his head.

"Nah, I think we're good." Hiding a smile as Ron threw an arm over him, Harry relaxed and shook his head. "How long do you think they can keep this up?"

"Dunno. Depends on if they make it back to why they were arguing in the first place. Oi! I'd like to get to bed so can we please let Harry finish his bloody story already!"

"All you do is sleep, Weasel," Draco snapped, crossing his arms. "Fine. How did the rest of the lesson go?"

"That was it. He just showed me memories, really, about Voldemort and where he came from and stuff."

"But _why_ -"

"Nope, no, not more questions. I'm going to bed." Ron pushed himself up, Harry snorting as he headed towards the stairs. "See you lot tomorrow!"

"Oh, honestly," Hermione huffed, crossing her arms. "I suppose we should go back to sleep with how late it is. We have classes tomorrow, too." She left while still muttering under her breath, Harry startling as Draco fell onto the couch to sit beside him, looking exhausted.

"Hey, you alright?" There was a moment where Draco seemed to be thinking of a lie before he shook his head and then rested it on Harry's shoulder. Surprise didn't begin to describe his emotions. "This is about whatever you've been avoiding telling me, isn't it?"

"Just… Leave it. Please." Ready to argue that no, he would not be leaving it, Harry paused at seeing the bags under Draco's eyes. He wasn't sleeping, then.

"Fine. Just for tonight, though. Now c'mon, you can share my bed. It's too late to risk another trip down to the dungeons." Standing up, Harry turned to help Draco up, pausing at the way his cheeks were flushed red. "Dra-"

"I think I'll just sleep on the couch if it's all the same to you." Well. That was- No… There was no way Draco _actually_ \- Maybe. It was a maybe and Harry was really, _really_ good about maybes.

"And risk getting caught by McGonagall?" Harry snorted, grabbing Draco's wrist and pulling him up and towards the stairs. "Come on."

It took way more cajoling and threatening than it should have to get Draco into his bed with the curtains closed around him, Harry grinning at the fact that Draco had yet to stop blushing. Maybe there _was_ some hope this year.

Of course, waking up in the morning with Draco curled up on top of him and their legs tangled together didn't really hurt, either.

::

"No, no, no- You've had five years schooling, Potter, you should be able to throw out a decent disarming spell by now!"

"It's not like I'm not _trying_!" Harry gritted his teeth, pushing his frustration down so his magic didn't lash out at Draco _again_. It was almost Christmas and they had started these stupid training sessions near the end of September.

"Try harder." There had been practically no progress made and Draco's taunts and smug looks were starting to piss him off in more ways than one. It wasn't _his_ fault that Draco was a shit teacher.

"Tell you what, why don't we switch places. I'll throw the spells around and _you_ can block them," Harry snapped, still trying to shake off the last Knockback jinx Draco had used.

"I would be quite fine with that. Of course, that would require you being able to _cast_ a spell to begin with." He could honestly say that he hadn't _meant_ to throw his wand aside and tackle Draco to the ground, but, well. He was a Gryffindor. It was his job to be impulsive.

If that meant tackling Draco Malfoy to the ground and the two rolling around in close contact to try and pin one another, well… Harry had _probably_ had stupider ideas. He was starting to think it was a brilliant idea, though, when he ended up on top of Draco after pinning his wrists to the floor, the two panting and gasping for breath with flushed cheeks.

"Potter, you have _five seconds_ to let me up," Draco near growled the words out and Harry kind of hated himself for how very, _very_ not afraid those words made him. "One." He should probably get up. "Two." He hadn't really _meant_ to piss Draco off. "Three." Then again… "Fo-"

This time, though, _this time_ he fully meant the way he leaned down and brushed his lips against Draco's. He was not, however, expecting the way Draco ripped his wrists free with a burst of strength that had him expecting a punch. He was _definitely_ not ready for how Draco dragged him down by his shirt and _really_ kissed him. It- It wasn't Harry's first kiss, but god did he wish it was with how different it was compared to the kiss Cho had given him. She hadn't even _compared_.

It felt like both a second and an eternity before they parted, both gasping and struggling for breath as they stared at each other. "Are you about to go spouting off apologies, then?"

"No. That… It's not something I really feel sorry about." Because how could he _ever_ feel sorry about something that had felt so perfect-

"Good." And with that there were lips pressing against his once again, dragging him back in and completely scrambling his thoughts. Harry didn't much mind that part, though, considering Draco was doing a very thorough job of making him forgot what it was like to think. He was pretty sure he forgot his name altogether when Draco pulled back again, Harry chasing after him for another kiss. "You know- You know this has the potential to go horribly wrong, don't you? The child Death Eater and the Chosen One-"

"Shut up, my life, don't care." Harry dragged him back in before he could get too far, shivering when he felt teeth against his bottom lip. It- It was new, but it wasn't unwelcome. "Tell me you don't want this, and we can pretend it never happened."

"Do you want this?" That was a stupid question and Harry made sure to prove that it was. Thoroughly. It was a bit hard to hear Draco's response since Harry kept kissing him quiet. "Ha- _Harry_." Draco kept him back with a hand on his chest, looking him in the eyes. "I don't- I don't want this to be- I can't-" Draco turned his head, whining when Harry leaned back in to kiss at his jaw. "I don't want you getting hurt from my problems."

"I'm a fucking obscurial and Voldemort is out to kill me. I don't think it's your problems we have to worry about," Harry muttered, finding that he was very much enjoying this new habit of kissing Draco to shut him up. It was very effective.

"That's not- That's not it- _Harry_." Pausing, Harry let Draco push him back, the other panting and struggling for breath and looking torn between flushing and paling. "I can't- If word gets back to him-"

"Draco, for god's sake, this is _Hogwarts_. He's still terrified of Dumbledore and he hasn't ever found a way in yet-"

"He's trying to." _That_ had Harry finally stilling. Draco seemed to notice, words tumbling out of him faster than he could think through them. "I don't want to, but that's what he's making me do. I told you, I was marked as punishment and redemption both. He wants me to find a way to get the Death Eaters into Hogwarts and if he does he'll forgive my father, but he also told me that he wants me to kill- To- To kill _Dumbledore_ and Harry, I can't, Merlin, Harry, I can't do this, I'm not a killer-"

This time the kiss Harry cut Draco off with was soft and hesitant, Harry muffling the other's words before they stopped completely. Even as he tried to process what he had been told, he was more concerned with lavishing kisses on Draco and soothing him down. "Hey. Hey, it's not- You're not gonna deal with this on your own, okay?"

"Harry, I can't drag you into my mess. If people were to ever think we're like- Like _this_ then it would put us _both_ in danger-"

"Okay. We can keep it quiet, then, if you want. I told you. Tell me to stop. I'll pretend this didn't happen." It would tear him to pieces, but Draco was more important than something he had already expected to never get. "Just tell me, Draco. If you want to keep it quiet, we can, we-"

"I don't want to keep it quiet." One of Draco's hands settled on his cheek, Harry shivering at how much that simple touch seemed to change _everything_. "I don't want to keep _you_ quiet- Merlin, Potter, you don't think I want the whole school to know I caught Harry Potter?"

"Caught me, huh?" Harry grinned, leaning into the touch and trying to push away the bad. They could talk later. They could talk about everything later, but right now, he didn't want _this_ to be about the bad. "It looks more like I caught you."

"That so?" Draco dropped his hand to rest alongside his head before he arched his neck and gave a smirk that should not do the things it did to Harry. "What are you going to do with me, then?"

"Oh, I can probably think of something." Later. After the holidays they'd deal with what Draco had told him. They'd deal with the memories, the orders Voldemort had given him, and everything else. For now, though, Harry was going to enjoy this. "Just for the record, I don't care if people know. If they're important to me then they won't give a damn, anyone else doesn't matter. Right?"

"Harry Potter…" Draco's grin was slow, but it was the most beautiful thing Harry had ever seen. "Whatever did I do to deserve you."

"Something really bad, probably." Before Draco could shoot off his own comeback, Harry was leaning in for a kiss and oh, yes. This was _much_ better.

::

As it turned out, most of Hogwarts didn't give a damn about his and Draco's relationship. It was honestly a bit pathetic how most people who knew them had thought they were already together, but Harry wasn't willing to look too deeply into that one. The teachers seemed to keep out of it, as well. Harry figured they would, seeing as this wasn't really teacher worthy news- Well.

McGonagall had given him a very thorough, but vague talk about choosing wisely and thinking through his decisions, and Snape had glared at him more than usual in Defense, but other than that it was business as usual. The most worrying thing, though, was how few Slytherins seemed to be around Draco.

Pansy would usually stick like glue to Draco's side when Harry wasn't with him and would even drag Draco to sit at the Gryffindor table some days. Zabini would sometimes join them, but he was often silent, and Crabbe and Goyle… Jeez, Harry didn't know what was going on there. Every time Harry tried to ask he was distracted by Draco's soft, needy kisses and warm hands that would so effortlessly slip pass his robes.

It wasn't just the friend thing, either, but the fact Draco was starting to spend more and more time with Harry and other Gryffindors. They were by no means suddenly accepting of Draco, but they at least didn't kick him out of the common room when they saw him, and Hermione and Ron never had the heart to play prefect and kick him out. It was worrying, and Harry was starting to think he was just trying to get away from the 'tasks' he had been given.

Of course, Harry had brought up the idea of _telling_ Dumbledore and the Order - as if they didn't already know by now. It had started more than one fight between them and those were usually the nights Draco curled up in his bed after hours hiding himself away around the castle. Harry had learned not to push the matter, but it wasn't-

He knew Draco was just trying to protect his parents, but they were grown bloody wizards! They knew what the stakes were, and he was sure they would be better prepared to deal with it than Draco was! Draco- He wasn't even of _age_ yet. It wasn't fucking _fair_ \- It-

Jesus. They had more in common than Harry had ever realized. They were both stressed to hell and back, as well, what with it already being near the end of January. They each had deadlines of their own and it felt like it was getting harder and harder to reach them. Harry was starting to learn more about Voldemort, though, and what he was learning made him both fear and hate the man even more than before. He knew that Tom Riddle had been capable of murder when he was young, but there was a difference between knowing he killed his father and his grandparents by his own hand rather than using a basilisk.

These were the thoughts that kept spinning around in his head as he stalked the halls, breath rough and uneven because he was just so- He had tried to get that stupid memory from Slughorn and he had fought back and there had been so many _excuses_. Slughorn was nothing but a _coward_ who was too afraid to own up to the mistakes he made.

Harry knew he was dangerous right now. He could feel his magic spiking and swirling around him, a dense cloud of pressure that had him rushing to the Room of Requirement. He had hoped pacing would make his anger go away, but it just made fear slip in alongside it and there was so much he could lose now, and it wasn't _right_ -

He barely stumbled into the room and saw towering piles of countless objects before his magic lashed out and destroyed two or three of the nearby stacks. Harry just closed his eyes and sank to the ground, hands covering his ears as he let his magic go and destroy everything in sight. That was all he was good for, it seemed. He was a weapon- He was _Dumbledore's_ weapon.

He shouldn't have survived past age eleven and now that he had he was- Fuck, Harry didn't know what he fucking was anymore. A mistake would probably be a pretty good start-

"Feeling sorry for yourself?" Startling at the voice, Harry jerked up to see Draco was kneeling in front of him, hands wrapped around his wrists and pulling Harry's hands away from his ears. "I heard a few portraits gossiping about what floor you were heading to."

Staring at Draco, Harry felt his fear start to ebb away and his anger return full force. Knocking the other down onto the floor, he ignored Draco's swears and yells as he pushed up that damn left sleeve and stared at the black mark that seemed to stare back at him. " _Harry_ what _are_ you doing?!"

"'S not right." Voldemort shouldn't fucking be anywhere in this school let alone on _Draco's_ arm. "You're not- We're fucking _sixteen_." They shouldn't be fighting in a war. They should be acting like teenagers and studying for classes and distracting each other from homework with those sweets kisses and searing touches. "This shouldn't be on you."

"Yes, well, I don't have a time turner on me so there's nothing _either_ of us can do." Placing his hand against the mark, Harry frowned as he _felt_ the dark magic in it. Was it even possible to get rid of something that dark? "Harry-"

"I know, I know, there's no 'reversal spell.'" Maybe they didn't need a spell, though. Maybe it just took the right kind of magic. Harry pressed his hand down harder, looking around at the destruction in the room he had caused. Maybe… Maybe it took _dark_ magic to draw out dark magic. "Draco… How much do you trust me?"

"With my life." Harry wasn't sure who was more surprised by the quick answer, him or Draco. He might've thought it was a joke if Draco wasn't looking so serious. "I think I'm starting to trust you with everything."

"I'm… I'm going to try something." Because he could feel his magic and he knew there was so _much_ of it and maybe he cold fucking use it for something _useful_ for once. "But you gotta tell me right away if it starts to hurt."

"Al- Alright." Pulling Draco up a bit, Harry shifted on his knees and leaned his forehead against Draco's, smiling when the teen relaxed a bit more. "What are you doing?"

"Hopefully? Something good." He didn't- Good magic wouldn't do anything to something like this. It needed _dark_ magic to draw it out. Like pouring something bad on a wound to make it better? It- Harry's magic wasn't good. It wasn't light, but it also wasn't _dark_ , really. It was more just… It was explosive. Chaotic. Uncontrollable. That would have to do for now.

Staring down at the mark, Harry let himself think on his hatred for Voldemort - for _Tom Riddle_. He let himself be angry, but not- It was justified. He was angry, and his magic knew it and he wanted this fucking mark _gone_ -

Draco jerked against him, but he didn't pull his arm away and he didn't say anything, so Harry didn't stop. He dug his nails into the skin, letting his magic go wild as he focused on nothing but getting rid of that mark. He didn't care if it was ripped off Draco or if it was turned into something else, but he wanted it _gone_. Voldemort couldn't have Draco.

He didn't care if Voldemort felt that magic severing, either. He _wanted_ him to feel it. Let him know that Harry was pissed. Let him know that the fucking 'Chosen One' was _angry_. He had taken _everything_ from him, though, and Harry wasn't going to let him take _Draco_.

"Harry." Startling at Draco's voice, Harry shot his gaze to him, frowning as he noticed Draco was staring at his left arm with wide eyes, slowly pushing Harry's hand down and, oh.

"I… I didn't think…" He knew it would come off. He knew it with everything in him, but he didn't think it would _change_. There it was, though. A jet-black _lightning bolt_ etched into Draco's skin. It… It was Harry's mark that was shining clear as day back at them. "Draco- I didn't think it'd- I'm sorry-"

Harry was cut off by Draco slamming into him and pushing them to the floor, Harry grunting before Draco was swallowing the sound. "Don't you- Don't you _dare_ apologize."

"But- But now you're just stuck with _my_ mark on your arm-!" Okay, he was starting to see why Draco sometimes got annoyed when he was cut off by being kissed. Harry still enjoyed it more than he was annoyed by it, but, still. There was a point to it.

"You think that's a burden?" Well… It was _Harry_. "You're still such an idiot, Potter." Draco said it with a smile before he was bending down to kiss Harry slower this time. It was a kiss Harry happily accepted, hands grabbing at Draco's robes to pull him closer. "'M never going to be upset when it comes to following you. After all, _that_ is something I have years practice in."

"Yeah- Yeah. I think it goes both ways." Harry's gaze trailed towards the mark on Draco's arm. "He'll know. Maybe not now, but he'll eventually figure it out."

"I'll warn my parents, but they can take care of themselves. They're stronger than you know," Draco laughed, kissing at Harry's jaw. "Harry?"

"Yeah?" Harry squirmed, trying to steady his breathing as Draco started sliding fingers through Harry's robes, pressing up against bare skin as soon as he could.

"I think it's pretty obvious I'm yours, at this point, but prove to me that you're mine, too." Wha- Oh. _Oh_. Well then.

"Prove it, huh?" Harry pulled Draco into a kiss, grinning against his lips. "I think that's something I can do."

::

"You _are_ getting better, you know." Not bothering to answer with anymore more than a groan, Harry relaxed when Draco sat down beside him and played with his hair. It was well into spring and besides the triumph of getting that stupid memory and learning every inch of Draco's body, nothing too terrible had happened to Hogwarts. Yet. The news that came in from the outside was getting worse every day, it seemed, and Draco had all but been banished by most Slytherins.

"How am I supposed to fight Voldemort if I can't even control my magic enough to send a disarming charm out?" There wasn't a response. Harry sighed, tilting his head back into the touch more. "How's the house war going?"

"It's not a war." Yeah, right. Slytherin had been practically tearing itself apart these days. With Draco _Malfoy_ condemning the actions of Voldemort there were others who weren't afraid to state their own opinions and the younger ones who were scared for their families. It was all Snape could do, it seemed, to keep the older years from hexing each other on sight. He was pretty sure a lot of them snuck off to their friends in other houses to sleep as he was _sure_ he saw at least four hiding Slytherins in the common room yesterday. Granted, Draco had been one of them. "It's a polite disagreement of values."

"It hurt to tell a lie that big?" There was a flick to his ear that had him whining, Harry laughing when Draco bent down to kiss the spot a second later. "Maybe this is good. It's showing that Slytherin house itself isn't just one big evil producing entity."

"Yes, but I think I'd rather sleep in my dorm without fear of my throat being slit," Draco chuckled, the sound cut off as Harry pulled him in to press their lips together.

"What do you need your bed for when you have mine? 'Sides, I thought you liked spending so much time in there." That earned him a rough kiss, Harry delighting in the way Draco was moving to straddle his waist. "Good thing we were practicing today, huh?"

They had cushions and pillows spread out across the floor where they had been practicing disarming and knockback spells. While Harry had only used the spell _once_ , Draco had been flung around quite a bit due to Harry's magic lashing out. Maybe if he could just control it to where he could start to channel it to doing what he wanted then he wouldn't _need_ the bloody spells-

"Pay attention." Nails digging into his hips had him jerking, Draco smirking at Harry's hiss. "I do believe we need to stop you from getting lost in those thoughts of yours. Dear me, what should we try to do that…"

"I'm sure you can think of something." Harry tugged Draco back down, frowning when he dodged at the last moment, so Harry only caught jaw instead of lips.

"You know what? I believe I can. In fact, let's consider this more training, shall we?" More training? No, Harry would rather be doing a lot of things other than _training_ \- "Step one." Draco slipped off him to sit between his legs before working on Harry's belt with eager fingers. "Keeping your magic from lashing out."

"Wha- What do you mean keeping-" Harry pushed himself up and looked just in time to see Draco free his hardening cock and lick a long stripe up it from top to bottom. All thoughts immediately fell out of his head and he suddenly understood with _clarity_ what Draco had meant by keeping control of his magic.

"Your magic reacts to your emotions, yes?" Draco licked his lips, fingertips brushing over the tip of Harry's cock and _teasing_ him. "We need to get you to learn to control it even when you can't control your emotions. So, until I'm done, I don't want you to use any magic."

"D- Done? Until you're done doing _what_ -" The question was immediately answered when Draco was leaning back down and mouthing and licking along his cock, Harry's arms giving out from under him as he fell back with what sounded like a groan and a yelp both. Bloody hell, Draco was going to be the end of him. "I don't- I don't think-"

Harry clamped down on his words and magic the second he felt hot breath over him, lips wrapping around the tip before _sucking_ \- Sucking in a deep, ragged breath, Harry cracked his eyes open and looked down to Draco. "What… What happens if I use magic before you're done?"

"Oh, well." Draco pulled back for a moment, lips slick and shining as he grinned. "Then I stop." Oh, bloody hell. "I think this has the potential to be your best training session, yet." With that, Draco picked up right where he left off, Harry throwing his head back and even more thankful for the cushions as he gulped and tried to control his breathing.

Maybe closing his eyes- Nope, no, that made it so much- Closing his eyes meant there was _nothing_ but feeling. Closing his eyes meant he could feel where Draco's nails pressed against his thighs and where warm lips were tight around him and a wickedly clever tongue was _pressing_ and- Aha, closing his eyes was a very bad idea.

"Dra- Draco, I don't think-" Harry's words stuck in his throat as Draco did _something_ with his tongue that had him groaning low in his chest. He felt the very edges of his magic start to stir before he was shoving it down, trying to stay calm and focused and use every stupid trick Healers had given him over the years.

It was getting harder to remember anything at all the way Draco was sinking down and Harry was pretty sure he was about to fly right out of his skin when a hand wrapped around what wasn't in Draco's mouth, the warmth sinking into him and Draco's hand was _slick_ and when _had he_ \- Cutting his thoughts off by throwing his head back again, Harry _whimpered_ when Draco pulled off of him. "I didn't- I didn't use magic-"

"I know." Draco's voice rasped at the edges and was full of pride, Harry groaning as the hand slipped down to rub- Oh. "I thought we'd step it up another level. What do you think?" The tone was teasing, but the question was genuine. They hadn't really done anything like- Like _that_ yet.

"I think it's going to take more than you can give for me to lose this one." Smirking at Draco, Harry tilted his head. "Well? I'm waiting, Malfoy."

"You, Potter, are a bloody prat." Draco was scrambling forward to draw him into a kiss anyways, clean hand tangling through his hair and _pulling_. Breaking the kiss with a loud moan, the sound went higher pitched when Draco's teeth latched onto his neck.

" _Bloody hell_." His magic stirred around him, Harry biting his lip harshly as he just barely pushed it back. He'd really, really, _really_ like for Draco to not stop now. Or ever. Never stopping sounded great.

"Oh?" Then again, Harry wasn't sure how he felt about that- _Fuck_. "So, you _like_ when I'm rough on you, huh?" The words were paired with a sharp pull to his hair, Harry arching his back and _whining_. He wasn't sure if he was trying to stop the pulling or make it harder. "Merlin, Harry, you're going to be the end of me."

"Stop talking and start-" Harry choked on _some_ kind of noise as those fingers were on his backside again and sliding down against the skin, brushing over him _there_ before sliding the tip of a finger in.

"Just relax, Harry," Draco crooned, words soft as he moved the tip in and out, and yeah, no, relaxing was the _last_ thing on his mind. "Just relax and keep control." Fuck- Fuck, this was the worst training _ever_ \- No, it was the best, but it was the _worst_ \- Harry whined long and low as the finger was fully pushed into him, Draco mumbling a spell that left him feeling as if he had just been scrubbed clean- Ah, right, okay. That- Harry was just going to die, now.

This was torture. This was literal torture. This _had_ to be actual _torture_ because Draco was pinning him down and working him up slowly and it was so slow Harry was pretty sure he was _begging,_ and Draco just kept working in his fingers slowly one by _fucking_ one. "Dra- Draco." The fingers stopped, and Harry swore, jerking Draco down and pushing his shirt out of the way to latch onto his neck with his teeth, vindicated when Draco yelped before shuddering against him. " _Get on with it._ "

"No need to be so impatient." Draco cut him off with a short kiss, fingers pressing deep inside of him and brushing up against a spot that had him bucking and shouting in Draco's hold. When he managed to just barely tamper down his magic, he cracked his eyes open to see Draco was looking at him with wide eyes. "Oh."

"Draco Lucius Malfoy you have five seconds to get inside me-" The searing kiss cut him off, but Harry was willing to forgive it as Draco was pulling his fingers out before scrambling to get his trousers, pants, and robes out of the way. Harry bucked against his thigh, delighting in the pleasure it brought and the swearing it caused from Draco.

"Fuck, fuck, alright, Merlin, just- Hold still." Draco mumbled a few more charms and, really, how did he even _know_ this many sex charms? Harry was going to have to get it out of him later- Much later, because Draco was lining up and pushing into him, biting his lip sharply and oh, fuck, that was so much bigger than fingers. "Fuck, Harry."

"Don't think I've ever heard you swear so much," Harry laughed, voice shaking as he wrapped his arms around Draco's neck, panting harshly as he tried to hold on.

"Harry? Harry, do you need me to stop-" Cutting him off with a jerk of his hips, Harry and Draco both groaned when Draco sunk in deeper. "Okay- Okay, not stopping."

"Just- Just go slow, yeah?" Harry closed an eye at the soft kiss to his cheek before smiling, relaxing slowly as Draco worked his way in with small thrusts and movements. The uncomfortable burn and stretch were starting to fade away and Harry's breath was picking up for a reason other than pain. "Draco. _Draco_."

"Almost, Harry, I'm almost in, that's it- You're doing so _well_ , Harry." The little words and compliments almost had him losing control more than anything else, Harry near shaking himself to pieces as Draco gave one last rough thrust in before he was fully sheathed. "Bloody fuck, Harry."

Draco stayed still and didn't move and for that Harry was so _grateful_. Digging his nails into Draco's shoulders, Harry bit his lip and gave a cautious shift of his hips, groaning at Draco's movement inside of him. Bloody hell, he had never imagined something feeling this good. "Harry- Harry, tell me I can- Harry, you gotta tell me I can move. Harry, please-"

"Yeah- Yeah, Dray, c'mon, move-" That was all it took before Draco was pulling out and thrusting back into him, Harry throwing his head back at the feeling of- Fuck. How did he describe this feeling? It was like being completely full and covered and trapped, but not in a bad way. It was like- Safety. It was a feeling of safety and knowing that he was _allowed_ to fall apart.

That was about as far as his thoughts went before everything seemed to vanish and then the only thing he could focus on was Draco thrusting into him at that same, steady pace, panting hard against his neck and near driving him up the wall because he wanted _more_. "Draco- Draco, c'mon-" Draco shifted against him and suddenly was brushing against that same spot from before, Harry _whining_ as he bucked and rolled his hips to try and get more of that feeling.

"Oh?" Draco's voice was like _sin_ and Harry had only a moment to wonder why he was being pinned down by his shoulders before Draco was _slamming_ into him and hitting that same spot again and again and _again_ -

Whatever poor attempt he had on controlling his magic was gone and Harry was moving against Draco just as much as he felt his magic swirl and lash out around him. Considering the room was mostly pillows he didn't much give a damn beyond the fact that Draco was soundly fucking him into incoherency.

His body felt like it was on fire, tension was coiling up in every part of him, and Harry felt like he was ready to lose his mind completely. With that thought, he turned his head to see Draco's left arm, tracing the lightning bolt mark with his eyes before reaching over and kissing it softly. Draco let out a _noise_ above him before fingers were wrapping around Harry's cock and _fuck_ -

Everything seemed to disappear in a haze of white, Harry's mind completely blanking and all his thoughts either gone or calmed. By the time he started coming back to himself, he fluttered his eyes open (when had he closed them?) to see that Draco was curled up against him and looking torn between amusement and disapproval.

"When I said to keep control of your magic, that didn't mean exploding the pillows." Wha… Oh. Half of the pillows in the room had been torn to _shreds_ and there was still fluff and feathers floating down around them. Shifting and feeling _wetness_ from… there, Harry felt his face flush as he tucked himself under Draco's chin. "Harry? You-"

"Fine. Great. Better than fine." He was pretty sure he wouldn't be moving for a while he felt so good, but that was still- Oh, boy. That was a lot. "I lost."

"Mm, I did too, I think," Draco laughed, kissing at the top of Harry's head. "Although I think I found our favorite way of training." Oh, bloody hell. Harry would not survive having Draco fuck him every training session.

"No offense, Dray, but I think I'll still be a little sore by the time we have our next session tomorrow."

"I won't be."

"Fuck. You're trying to kill me, aren't you?"

"Maybe I'm just making sure you have a reason to stick around." Frowning at that, Harry pushed himself up to give Draco a stern look.

"I don't need a reason to stay with you, Draco." Kissing the surprised look away, a sigh was lost in the kiss when Draco rolled them over so that Harry was comfortably resting on top of him. "Whatever happens from here, we're going to face it together."

"That's the most Gryffindor line I've ever heard someone say," Draco snorted, laughing even more when Harry tried to shove his face into the destroyed pillows. "Alright, alright! I didn't disagree with you."

"Ponce," Harry accused, smiling fondly when Draco laughed at him. "Voldemort isn't going to know what's coming."

Power the Dark Lord knows not… Harry was starting to think that meant more than just him being an obscurial.


End file.
